Love is a Complicated Thing
by realornotreal123
Summary: Finnick is here to comfort Katniss, just when she's been through the worst. She doesn't think of him as a friend anymore. Katniss still loves and cares for Peeta, so her heart is torn. But Katniss has other things to worry about, since a rebellion is commencing. This story takes place just before the war and will continue into the war. (Weird paring but give it a chance:))
1. Chapter 1

Peeta hates me. Actually, he hates me, and wants me dead. I know this isn't his fault though. It's the Capitol's. They changed him. They made him loathe me, and made him want to kill me.

I sit on my bed in my room in District 13, playing with the strap on my wrist that is entitled "mentally unstable." I run my hand over my neck, and it hurts, since there are bruises there.

I walk over to the mirror that's in my room, and look at my ugly reflection. My hair is a complete mess, and my eyes have bags under them from not sleeping.

They want to keep me away from Peeta since he's not fit to see me. I haven't seen him in three days since the incident happened. I feel lonley, empty. I should've given Peeta affection like he deserved, and not ignored him. Instead, I left him, and toyed with his emotions. Now, it's too late. I'm starting to think that he'll never love me again. Love. Such a complicated thing it is.

I'm putting my hair in my usual messy sidebraid, when I hear a knock on my door. Who could possibly want to see me right now? Probably the doctor wanting to give me my medicean. But when I walk over to the door, it's not the doctor. It's Finnick.

"Finnick," I say, tilting my head slightly. "What are you doing here?"

Finnick gives me a sad smile, and I can see that he's been going through rough things as well.

"I just wanted to check on you.. See how you are," His voice is calm and soft. "May I come in?"

I pause, and study him for a moment. Then I nod my head. He steps through my door, and shuts the door behind him. Then, he turns to me. He has a sympathetic look on his face.

"How are you, Katniss?" he asks in a questioning tone.

There's no use lying to Finnick, so I tell him the truth. I take a deep breath, and sit on my bed. He joins me, and sits next to me. "It's Peeta.. He hates me. And I fear that he'll never get better," my voice catches in my throat.

He looks deep into my eyes, as if trying to read me.

"I understand, Katniss. Annie has been really distant latley. She doesn't talk to me anymore. And.. It hurts, actually," he says in a quiet tone.

This is really surprising to me, that Finnick is sharing all this personal information with me. I don't say anything. I just nod. But then, he takes my hand, and I feel a surge of warmth go through me. Hope is maybe the feeling. It comforts me, and I smile at him. He smiles back.

"I'm sorry to here about that, Finnick," I say finally. "Do you.. do you love her?"

Finnick takes a deep breath. "I do.. Yes. But, it's hard to love someone who doesn't talk to you. That doesn't mean I don't love her.. I-I do, but.." Finnick's voice sounds nervous, and he trails off, looking at the floor.

I squeeze his hand. "I know how you feel, Finnick. I love Peeta, but he'll never love me back, I don't think," I say.

"He will, Kat. Don't say that. He'll get better, I know it," he looks into my eyes again.

"Thank you, Finnick.. Really, I appreciate it," I smile at him and he smiles back, nodding.

Something inside of my stomach turns. I don't know why, but I'm looking at Finnick in a whole new way now. I never really noticed how attractive he was. Or how kind and caring. I have never seen this side of Finnick. Only the side that's sarcastic and witty. I get scared. Really scared that I'm feeling this way, but I can't control that. His hand moves slowly up and down my arm, and it's comforting. He seems to notice how I'm feeling.

"Love.. It's a complicated thing, right?" Finnick whispers. I notice he's closer to my face, but I don't question this, or back away.

"Yeah.. Yeah it is," I say, my eyes examining him. He seems to be looking the same way at me.

Then, he kisses me. It's unexpected, and my eyes widen as his lips meet mine. The kiss is soft, and gentle. I still don't question this, and I don't know why, but I'm kissing him back, so lost in the moment. Me with Finnick? It's just.. weird, but it feels great. Then, I seem to come to my senses. I pull away, and look at him after a moment of kissing him.

"Finnick.." I say so confused with myself.

He immediatley stands up, and runs his fingers through his hair.

"Katniss.. I'm sorry. I-I don't know why I did that," he looks confused himself. "I should go."

"It's okay, Finnick.. Really, it's fine," I say, my voice shaky and nervous.


	2. Chapter 2

"Okay, Katniss. Again, I-I'm sorry," he says looking almost scared, as he exits my room, and out the door.

And now, I'm left alone with my thoughts. What did I just do? Why did I just do that? My mind swarms with questions. His lips felt so perfect on mine. I don't know what I feel for him now. This is crazy. Insane. It's scaring me.

I burry my face in my hands and lay down on my bed. I lie there, lying and thinking. What about Peeta? What would he think about this? I must not this thing with Finnick and I continue. It's ridiculous. I'm supposed to be in love with Peeta. And I was.. I still am, actually. I need to shake this stupid feeling of love from my head, and continue on. Pretend that this never happened. And know that it will never happen again.

A little later, I slowly drift off into a worried slumber. My nightmares don't haunt me tonight. Sometimes I have nightmares, and sometimes I don't. It really all depends.

A little while later, I am awakened by a knock on the door.

"Ms. Everdeen," says the voice. "Time for lunch."

I sigh, and slowly sit up, pulling myself together. I walk out my door, and down the hallway, heading to the lunch cafeteria. On my way there, I stop in front of the room that Peeta is held captivity in. It bothers me, seeing him like this. His hands are tied behind his back, and he looks like some sort of prisoner. The doctors look like they are doing tests on him, and he looks sad. Not angry. His eyes are filled with sadness and longing. He's trying to find his way out. He then looks up and sees me, and his eyes flicker with rage. He looks at me with the worst hatred, and my heart feels as if it's going to break into pieces. He gets up, but the doctors hold him back. He's fighting them, trying to break through as hard as he possibly can. The doctors rush to take out some sort of needle, and stick it into his arm. He slowly relaxes, and they order him into bed, where he lies down, and drifts slowly off to sleep.

Silent tears are streaming down my face as I look at him, totally deranged. I quickly walk away, and continue to the cafeteria. I get my lunch of fries and green beans, and sit down at a table. I don't even eat, just play with my food, when suddenly, someone sits across from me. I look up to see that it's Gale. I fake a smile, and look down at my plate again, not saying a word.

"What's wrong, Catnip?" he asks, in a soft voice. I don't know what to tell him, but when I'm just about to say something, I see Finnick from across the room. He's looking at me, our eyes meet. He quickly looks down, and so do I. I obviously haven't answered Gale in awhile because he says. "Catnip?" once again to get my attention.

"Oh sorry.. Um.. nothing's wrong," I say quietly. He obviously knows somethings wrong, but probably chooses to ignore it. We quietly eat our lunch together. Well, I don't eat actually anything.

Later, I get up to go back to my room, when suddenly, someone grabs my wrist. I turn around and see that it's Finnick.

"Finnick.. Let me go. I can't see you anymore," I say quietly.

"Kitten, please let me talk to you," he says.

I pause and tilt my head at him.

"Did you just call me Kitten?" my voice comes out a bit angry.

Finnick blushes.

"Sorry.. I-It slipped. Anyway, we need to talk," he says.

I sigh and look to the ground.

"What?" I ask.

"It was a mistake.. What happened when I kissed you.. I never ment to, and I feel guilty.. But, Katniss.. I-I think I feel something for you," my eyes go wide with shock as he speaks these words to me.

"What?" I ask in disbelief. "You have.. feelings for me?"

"Katniss.. I've always used to be somewhat attracted to you.. It wasn't love.. I just thought you were.. attractive," he admits. "But now, I think I might.."

"Finnick, this is wrong. Really wrong. I'm eighteen, and you're twenty five," I say. Yes, I do feel something towards him too, but I can't admit that.

He studies me for awhile and then says, "I know.. You're right. I'm sorry, Katniss. I'll go," he lets go of my wrist, and walks off again. I watch him leave and silently return to walking down the hallway to my room.

All of a sudden, one of the doctors stops me.

"Ms. Everdeen.." he begins. "Mr. Mellark is chained up.. We have made sure he cannot hurt you in any way."

"Okay. What'd you stop me for?" I ask.

The doctor takes a deep breath, and then says, "Mr. Mellark would like to speak with you."


	3. Chapter 3

Nervousness fills my chest, and my stomach feels like it's being tied in knots again. I take a deep breath.

"T-Talk to me?" I ask. They don't say anything and just nod, starting to walk to Peeta's room and motioning for me to come along.

I follow them silently until they open his hospital door. I see him, handcuffed to his hospital bed. He looks weary, sad, and not so angry.

"Peeta.." I say sadly.

He looks at me and doesn't say anything, just staring at me.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" I ask in a quiet voice, breaking the silence.

"I'm confused.. I don't know what to do.. er.. Kat-" he seems like he's struggling to finish his sentence. He shakes his head, and skips trying to say my name. "You hurt people.. Killed them?" He raises his voice slightly, looking at him.

"No, Peeta," I begin flatly. "No. I didn't kill anybody.. Well.. I only killed people that were trying to hurt you or me."

"My family never tried to hurt you!" he says, his eyes flickering black and sometimes blue.

"Peeta.." I start to back up a little. "I never killed your family.. It.. was only.. in The Hunger Games.. d-don't you remember?" Obviously he doesn't remember, because he glares at me, and is trying his hardest now to get out of his chains.

"You're a murderer! A murderer!" he yells, furious with me. The guards come over and try to calm him down but he keeps yelling awful things at me.

I'm backed into the corner of the room now, covering my face with me hands. They stick a needle into Peeta's arm, and he relaxes, and looks sad again. He slowly lays back down, and drifts off into unconsciousness. I start to cry again, when someone walks through the door.

"Common, Katniss," says the voice, which takes my hand and leads me out the door again.

I don't look up, because I know who it is. I continue to look down at the floor, until he lifts up my chin, so I'm looking at him. His green eyes meet mine, and wipes away my tears gently with his thumb.

"It's okay.. It's okay.." Finnick says and pulls me into a tight hug.

"No it's not. It's not!" I say frusterated into his shoulder. He doesn't say anything, and just lets me let out my feelings, never letting go of me.

His arms around me comfort me, but at the same time, make me cry even more. I feel weak, and stupid for crying like this. I shouldn't care this much about Peeta.. or Finnick. I'm frustrated with myself, my feelings.

A few moments later, he pulls away, and looks at me. I avoid his gaze, scared of what I'm feeling.

"Are you okay now, Kitten?" Finnick asks.

Theres that stupid nickname again, that makes me happy, but sort of angry. I don't say anything about it this time, because he seems to have not realized he said it.

I slowly nod, and gently push his arms off me. I want to find something to talk about to change the subject. Yes, Annie.

"How's Annie?" I ask quietly looking to him.

Finnick sort of gets a pained look on his face.

"Not good, actually. She's humming to herself occasionally, and is out in her own little world most times. I love that girl, Kat. I really do. Sometimes, it's just so hard to continue on," he sighs and looks down.

This side of Finnick makes me wonder what else he has been hiding from me before. He isn't his sarcastic, witty self around me. Only around others, as if trying to fake his feelings.

"I'll see you later," he says noticing I'm not saying anything. He slowly walks away, and off down the hallway. Again, I silently watch him leave.


	4. Chapter 4

A sudden longing feels me as I watch him leave. His voice is very comforting to me, and calms me when no other voice can. His smile makes me feel happy as well. I catch myself smiling as I think about him but stop, realizing that this is wrong.

I head off to my room again, and lay down on my bed. The sky has turned dark, and the moonlight is shining through my window. I lay there, thinking about what dark things the Capitol has planned next. I forgot all about this surprisingly, since I've been thinking about other things recently. Something horrible, probably, to punish us for sparking a rebellion.

I fall asleep a little while later, but I don't rest again peacefully. My nightmares haunt me yet again tonight. In my dream, I'm standing there. Rue is lying there, dead. I hear the blood-curdling screams of Glimmer, on who I dropped the tracker jacker nest on. Marvels dead body haunts me, and all the other tributes who I have killed. My nightmares remind me that I am a murderer and have taken the lives of many people. The images pass over, and then, in my dream, I am lying in the meadow, grass and flowers surrounding me. Everything seems calm, and peaceful. All of a sudden though, someone grabs me by my shirt, and violently yanks me up. I'm struggling to have them let go, but they don't. And then I see who it is. It's Peeta. His cold, black eyes meet mine, and he has a sort of pride in his eyes, like a lion who's finally caught it's prey.

"Mutt," he says angrily, slamming me into a nearby tree.

I'm screaming, begging for him to let me go, but he doesn't. He wraps his hands around my neck, and squeezes tightly. I feel my air supply cut off, and I can't breathe anymore. I struggle, my hands resting on top of his. He's laughing, cruelly, his vicious eyes filled with a certain satisfaction.

But then, I wake up from my nightmare. I gasp for air, as if what happened in this dream just happened to me. When I catch my breath, tears begin to stream down my face, and I sob into my hands, screaming and crying. I'm exhausted now, and I want to go back to sleep, but I can't. I am overcome with fear, as images from my nightmare come back and flash through my mind. It all seemed so very real, and it was terrifying.

I can't sleep now, so I stand up, and tie my hair back into a pony tail, wiping my tears away. I pace back and forth in my room, wondering what to do, but nothing comes to mind. I sit down on the cold floor in my room, and just sit there for hours, staring off. It's not healthy, and anyone who saw me would think I'm crazy. But, in some ways, I am a little crazy.

"Miss Everdeen!" says a startling voice. I wake up, my head resting against the frame of my bed. I look at my window, and see's that it's morning. I must've fallen back asleep, but I didn't get much sleep at all, actually. I slowly stand up, still in my nightgown. I don't reply to the person who just called my name, but they know I'm in here.

"Miss Everdeen!" they repeat, their voice louder. "Eight o' clock, time for breakfast!"

I sigh, and pull on my District 13 outfit, and open the door, heading to the cafeteria room again for breakfast. I sit alone this time, and suddenly look across from me. Someone meets my eye. It's Peeta. He doesn't see me, but his hands are in handcuffs, and he's struggling to handle his fork with his fingers. Fear overcomes me, as I remember the dream I had last night. Why would they let him out of his room? He's getting better, I suppose. He's probably more sane than I am, at this moment.


	5. Chapter 5

Suddenly, as I'm staring off, someone sits across from me, blocking my view from Peeta. I'm surprised to see it's Johanna. She's looking at me, but I withstand looking at her, and look down at my plate.

"He's getting better, you know," she says.

I'm surprised that she's being comforting at this moment. I look up to her and nod.

"Good," I say.

"So anyway," her voice gets quieter. "In a few weeks, they're going to have us practice with weapons, and get us trained for the army."

"The army? When are we going to the Capitol exactly?" I ask.

"Not sure yet, but they're getting stronger, and we need to attack soon," she says, looking around as to see if anyone is looking. "As of right now, our squad consists of Finnick, you, me, Gale, and a few other people that I don't know." Johanna frowns slightly, and then picks up a little bit of her food, examining it, and then popping it into her mouth.

"And Peeta? He's going to stay here then?" I ask.

"Yes, of course. They won't have him fighting in war in his... condition and all," she says. "They'll probably send him back to District 12, depending the result of this rebellion."

My stomach churns slightly, and I start to feel a bit sick. I don't say anything for awhile, and I notice that Johanna is quite annoyed.

"Right then," she says sort of frustrated. "Bye, Katniss." She says, getting up and putting her tray in the trash, then walking off.

Weapons to practice with? I know we all won't be safe on this trip to the Capitol. This is going to be a war, and we'll have to fight for freedom. A lot of people are going to get hurt, and some with die. Many probably. But it's the right thing to do, and I know that in my heart. Part of me feels frightened of course, but who wouldn't be. I'm wondering why Johanna, Gale or Finnick would put their lives in danger to help me with this mission.

Another person joins me at the table now, and I don't even look up because I know who it is.

"Katniss?" says Finnick.

I'm acting childish, and I should just talk to him and not ignore him. He doesn't deserve that. I look up at him, but avoid making eye contact with those green eyes of his.

"How are you?" he asks.

"I'm fine.. Kinda worried, though," I say.

He knows exactly what I'm worried about, and it's kinda like he can read my mind, because he just nods understandingly.

"It'll be okay. We have the right people, the right weapons..." he trails off slightly, his voice quiet.

I nod, and then I shake my head. I don't really want to worry about this, until I have something to worry about.

"How's Peeta?" he asks suddenly.

"Fine. They say he's getting better," I say nervously, taking a shaky breath, and Finnick can obviously tell something is wrong. I wonder if I should tell him about my dream I had about Peeta recently, but I feel like I won't understand.

It's frusterating how Finnick can always tell when something's wrong with me, because he frowns slightly.

"What is it?" he asks, concerned.

"I had a dream," I sigh. "It was about Peeta.. He was trying to kill me, again. He frightens me now.. I can't really look at him the same way for awhile after that."

Finnick's eyes widen slightly as I tell him this, but he sighs as well.

"He loves you.. He really does. He's trying to find his way out. This isn't really him, you know. He's different right now, but he doesn't mean it," Finnick says softly.

"I don't feel loved," I admit.

"You are loved, Kitten," he says.

I look up at him and shake my head.

"Stop," I say suddenly, the words pouring out of my mouth. "I know what you're trying to do, Finnick. Stop," my voice raises slightly. I feel a bit of anger go through me. "Stop messing with me like this!"

Finnick looks surprised, but looks down.

"I'm sorry," he says flatly. Then, he stands up, and throws his tray away. He looks at me once more before going to his room.

I'm angry and I do the same right after him. I storm to my room. I slam the door, and lay on my bed. I'm so angry with him for making me feel this way. I sigh, and try to shake this feeling like I've been trying to do for weeks now, but it's no use. My heart longs for him when he's away, I get a feeling of warmth when he's speaking to me. I must face this fact. I love him. I'm in love with Finnick Odair.


	6. Chapter 6

I can't sleep. I feel restless, as I toss and turn in my bed with only 3 things on my mind: Peeta, Finnick, and the rebellion.

I get up out of bed, and pull on a nightgown, and hesitantly open my door. I look down the hall, and don't see anyone except a few guards. I start walking down the hallway, when one of them stops me.

"Where are you going?" they ask in a husky voice.

"Just to get some fresh air," I reply.

They give me a suspicious glare, but motion me along. I continue to walk along the hallway until I reach the stairs that leads up to the balcony. I walk towards the balcony, and stand there, my hands on the railing and the cool breeze lightly swaying my hair. It's a nice place to think, and to get away from it all. I let out a sigh and look out at the view in front of me. District 13 is nothing like home. It's more technologically advanced, and the buildings are much more high tech. I then think about my family, Prim, my mother. They're probably worried about me, thinking I've probably gone mad. I'll have to pay them a visit soon to talk to them. I'm starting to get frightened about what the future will become. If the Capitol will continue to rule, or maybe not. We've definitely showed them up by escaping from the arena, and they're not happy. I keep waiting for some form of punishment, but then I realize, they have already punished me. Making me go back into the arena again, and sending me into the arena in the first place. It's all to show how powerful they are and that they can't be overruled. But the worst punishment of all, is that they changed Peeta. The one who used to be sweet, and innocent. But now, he is no longer. I know inside of him there's still that old him, but it doesn't look like it's going to reveal itself any time soon. I start to tear up as I think about this, but I quickly wipe away the one tear that streams down my cheek. Then, I suddenly hear footsteps behind me. I nervously turn around and see that it's Finnick. He's still dressed in his normal clothes, and he looks tired and distressed.

"I'll leave," he says at once and turns around.

Part of me wants him to leave, but the stronger part of me wants him to stay.

"It's fine. Stay if you want," I say and sit down on the floor of the balcony. He hesitantly joins me, and sits across from me. It reminds me of when Peeta and I were up on the balcony the first day just before the games.

He stares out at the view just like I do, not saying a word.

"Are you okay, Finnick?" I ask suddenly.

He turns to me.

"No," he says flatly.

I don't want to ask him, because whatever's troubling him probably has something to do with Annie.

I nod, and walk my fingers along the floor, finding something to do.

"I'm sorry, Finnick," I blurt out suddenly, the words tumbling out of my mouth. "For yelling at you.. I didn't mean to.. I'm confused I guess."

"What's there to be confused about?" he asks. I shouldn't be bringing it up all the time.. It's wrong of me, I know. I don't mean to make you feel guilty, you know. Especially what you're going through with Peeta."

I look at him, studying him.

"Peeta doesn't make me feel the way you make me feel," I blurt out suddenly. What a stupid thing to say.

"And what's that feeling?" he asks, inching a little closer to me.

"Happiness, I suppose," I smile slightly.

"I make you feel happy?" he asks.

I nod, and he smiles also.

I put my hand on top of his, and I know what I'm doing and saying is wrong, but I ignore myself for just this one time.

He looks up into my eyes, and I do something I wouldn't expect of myself. I lean in and press his lips against mine. I feel him kiss back, and he slides his hands slowly down to my waist. The kiss is gentle, but he puts more force into it. He pulls me closer, not breaking our kiss. Our tongues are twirling around with each others, and he's holding me, making me feel safe and secure. I rest my hands on his shoulders, and feel like butterflies are flying in my stomach. I don't feel guilty at all this time actually. This feels right. I've never kissed anyone like this before, except for Peeta on the beach in the Quarter Quell arena. But this is different.

After a moment, he pulls away. He's breathing slightly heavier than before, and smiling. Our foreheads are pressed up against each-others, and I catch myself smiling as well. We seem to be forgetting about everything that's troubling us, and just focusing on each other in this perfect moment.


	7. Chapter 7

Finnick and I look at each-other for a moment, and I think he might kiss me again, but he doesn't. I can see in his eyes that he's happy, and not worried like always.

He motions me forward, and I hesitantly scoot over to him. He pulls me into his arms, and lays down on the cold floor. It doesn't seem to bother him at all though. I lay down too, but Finnick's chest becomes my pillow.

"Look," he says softly, pointing up.

I look up, squinting, not sure what I'm supposed to be looking at.

"What?" I ask curiously.

"The stars," he whispers, with awe in his voice.

I look up and see a whole sky full of stars. They're beautiful, and they light up the sky. I smile, because this does make me happy inside. Then, I look at Finnick who's eyes are shining with excitement.

"They're amazing, Katniss. Aren't they?" he asks.

"Yes, they are," I reply.

Sure the stars are pretty, but they're just the many wonders of the world. I wonder to myself why he would possibly be so fascinated by stars, like a little child. And then I realize it. Finnick is so excited about these stars because it reminds him of a time when he was innocent. It reminds him of when he was a little boy, and when things were simpler back then. This is all the innocence he might have left. Now he's been sold to Capitol women without any choice. I know Finnick. He doesn't want to just have sex with women. He wants to be innocent again. He wants to be in love.

I star at him for awhile, and everything does seem to add up because he says, "I wish I could see the world more often. Usually I'm busy or making trips.." he trails off his voice becoming weak and sad even. "To the Capitol."

I take a deep breath, and I'm not sure what to say.

"It's all an act, right? You don't really.." I blurt out, before I realize what I'm doing,

I know Finnick doesn't want to talk about this but he says, "No.. I hate it. I really do. You'd think that men would like that, but not me. It doesn't feel right. There's no connection between the Capitol women and I, none at all," he sighs.

"I'm sorry, Finnick.." I say softly.

He shakes his head, and gives a reassuring fake smile at me. Then, he sits up, carefully moving me up with him.

"It's late.. Better go to bed," he smiles. "Try and get some sleep, Katniss."

I nod, and stand up.

"Good night, Finn," I say.

"Good night, Kitten."

I give him a kiss on the cheek, and head down the stairs. I go back to my room, feeling happy as can be. In that hour, I've forgotten completely about Peeta, the Capitol, or anything for that matter. What mattered was him. But now, I must return back to my sad reality.

My dreams are happy that night.

The next morning, I'm awoken by the usual guards telling me it's time for breakfast.

I change into my District 13 outfit, and head down to the cafeteria again. I grab my lunch, and sit down at a table. Johanna and Gale join me shortly after.

"Hey Catnip," Gale says in his usual deep voice.

But Johanna seems to be eyeing me. She's smirking and laughing softly to herself.

"What?" I ask, putting my fork down and facing her.

"Oh you know what," she sneers.

I have to think about this, but then it hits me. I gape at her, and Gale looks confused. _She knows._ _How_ could she know? Most likely eavesdropping on us.

"What?" Gale repeats exactly what I said.

"Getting busy with a certain someone, right?" she asks with a michevious grin on her face.

"W-What are you talking about?" I ask, pretending to sound very confused.

"Sleeping around with other guys, hm? Bad reputation for the Mockingjay," she laughs.

"I didn't sleep with anyone," I say angrily, clenching my fists.

"Whatever you say," she smirks once again, and gets up, throwing her tray away and walking about.

I can't believe what she's done. Gale turns to me, looking quite hurt and sad.

"I never thought you w-"

"I didn't!" I yell louder then I was meaning to. "I didn't sleep with anyone. Or see anyone. She's lying!"

Gale nods, but he seems unsure.

"Right.." he says trailing off once more.

"What you don't believe me?" I ask.

Gale pauses for a moment. "Just do what you think is right," he says, gets up, and walks away.


	8. Chapter 8

***_Keep in mind, that this fanfic will not be exactly like the books. Some parts will be different. Thank you guys for all your reviews! I really appreciate it :)*_**

I watch Gale walk away, completely speechless. I push my food away slowly, as I continue to stare off. I can't believe what I heard. Gale knows now. But he's getting the wrong idea, which bothers me. He doesn't know who though. I must convince Gale that non of what Johanna is saying is true. Anger builds up inside me as I think about Gale and especially Johanna. I'm his best friend, and he's believing what Johanna has to say, without giving me a chance to speak or explain myself.

I take one more bite of my food, before becoming to angry to eat. I stand up, and throw my plate away, walking away to my room again.

"Wait.." calls a voice behind me.

I turn around and see Johanna, and roll my eyes, turning around again, and continuing to walk.

"I SAID WAIT!" she yells loudly, catching up to me and grabbing my wrist.

"And what is it you want?" I sneer.

"Oh, don't be too concerned with yourself, Mockingjay. We're going to practice with weapons."

Johanna pulls me forward, grabbing onto my wrist a little too tightly where it starts to hurt a bit.

We walk a long way down the hall, until we reach a room. Johanna opens the white door, and practically shoves me inside. I give her a nasty look, but then look up. The walls and floors of this room are white, and before me stands a huge variety of weapons, some looking quite frightening. There I see Finnick, Beetee, Boggs, and Gale.

"Wh-" but before I can even say anything, Johanna interupts me.

"We'll be practicing with weapons today." Johanna says.

Beetee then walks up to me, holding a bow and arrow in both of his hands. He gives it carefully to me, and I see that it's not just a regular bow and arrow. It's black, and the tips look as if they're explosive.

And I soon find out that they are.

"This right here.." begins Beetee. "Is your new bow and arrow.. The tips are explosive, so you can do much more damage."

"Did you make this?" I ask, a smile creeping up on my face.

He nods and smiles at me. Then, I look at Finnick and notice he has a new trident in his hand, and he looks rather pleased with it.

"Thank you," I say, smiling.

We practice with weapons for a few hours. I'm particularly good with the bow and arrow, obviously, but try to practice more and get better. I look at Finnick, throwing his trident, and hitting the target every time. I remember his games, and how deadly he was in them, becoming the youngest victor, age 14, to win The Hunger Games.

He's noticing I'm looking at him, so he walks carefully over to me.

"How're you doing?" he asks.

"Pretty well.. I like my new bow," I smile. "What about you?"

"Doing well, too," he says, admiring his new trident once again.

I see out the corner of my eye, and look over to see Johanna glaring at us.

I quickly turn my head back to Finnick, but he's still looking at Johanna, with a concerned expression on his face.

"What's up with her?" he asks.

"She's always like this," I say, and sigh.

I look over, and see Gale firing guns. I can tell he's never handled a gun before, but he's actually very skilled at it.

I can't help but worry that some of these people in this room, might be dead in a couple of weeks. It makes my stomach churn and makes me feel sick. I make a face of discomfort, and Finnick seems to notice, and somehow can tell how I'm feeling.

"We'll be alright," he says, putting his hand gently on my shoulder. "This is the right thing to do."

"When are we leaving?" I ask, my voice shaking slightly.

"A week," he says, quietly. I can tell that he's nervous as well.

We continue practicing for awhile, but then the time we have comes to a close, as Boggs says, "Very good job today. You'll come in once a day for training, so you will be prepared."

He dismisses us, and Finnick and I walk quietly back towards my room. The hallway is empty, and desserted, because everybody has gone to go outside.

Suddenly, Finnick stops me.

"I gotta go now," he says. He cups my face in his hand, and kisses me softly, and passionatley.

"Good night," he says pulling away after a moment, and walking off down the hallway towards his room.

I smile to myself, as I walk again to my room. I turn back and see that Finnick is now out of sight, the hallway being desserted once more.

I turn back around, and continue walking for a minute or so when suddenly, I feel someone grab my shoulders and push me up against a wall so hard, the wind is knocked out of me. I star in horror, as I see Peeta facing me, his eyes black with rage.

"Thought you were supposed to be in love with me.. Or that's what they tell me," he spits out angrily, holding me tightly, so tightly that it hurts, pushing me harder against the wall.

I realize in horror, that he's seen Finnick and I kissing.

"N..N-No, Peeta. No.." I say, looking around for someone who could help, but no one is around at the time I need them the most.

Peeta seems to ignore everything I've said, because he raises his hand, and hits me hard across the face. Tears well up in my eyes, as I avoid looking into his cold, black eyes.

"Pathetic. Begging for mercy. Why do you breathe this air, Mutt?" he says, angrily.

Tears are pouring down my cheeks, and I violently try to get away, but this seems to make him angier. He slams me against the wall again, and I let out a yelp of pain.

"Peeta.. I'm sorry.. Peeta, NO!" I scream, sobbing now.

"Goodbye, Mockingjay," he says with the most evil look on his face now, his eyes glistening with satisfaction. His hands make their way around my neck. I put my hands on top of his, struggling to pull them off, but I can't. He squeezes around my neck harder, and now I can't breathe at all. My nightmare is now becoming a reality.


	9. Chapter 9

I give up struggling, as I feel myself growing weaker and weaker. I look into Peeta's eyes, which are filled with a sort of satisfaction. A wicked smile appears on his face as he watches me die.

Suddenly, I hear footsteps running, and next thing I know, I drop to the floor. I gasp for air, and lean over, trying to catch my breath. When I finally do, I look up and see Peeta is on the floor, unconsciousness. A needle is stuck in his arm, and two or three guards are now carrying him away.

People have now come out of their rooms, and are staring at me, their eyes widened with shock. I hate all this attention. I just want to be alone. I'm sobbing, still on the floor, but I don't care how many people are watching me.

Suddenly, I feel someone pick me up, and I immediately cling onto them.

"It's okay, Katniss," I hear him say, and I immediately know that it's Finnick. He's carrying me bridal style, away from the crowd of people. I continue to cry pathetically like a little baby into chest.

We walked for awhile until he stops in front of his door, and opens it. He walks in quietly, and gently rests me on his bed. He lays down with me, and pulls me into a tight hug, running his fingers calmingly through my hair. It feels comorting to have Finnick with me in this time of need.

We don't say anything for awhile. We just lay there with eachother, him comforting me. Eventually, I stop crying, and pulls away from me, and looks into my eyes. I avoid eye contact with him, because for some reason, I feel weak and vulnerable.

He wipes the tears away from my eyes, and I finally look up at him. I notice he has a pained look on his face, like he's been hurt as well.

"I'm sorry, Katniss," he says, his voice cracking slightly, as he runs his fingers lightly across my neck where my bruises are.

I shake my head.

"I-It's.. n-not your fault," I say, my voice coming out shaky and weak.

He nods slightly, and lays down again, pulling me down gently with him.

"Get some sleep, Katniss," he says softly.

I nod, and rest my head on his chest, wrapping my arms around him.

He kisses my forehead lightly, and I close my eyes.

"Thank you, Finnick.." I mutter softly, as I drift off slowly to sleep.

I don't have any nightmares that night, probably because Finnick is holding me so tightly, that it seems like he's holding onto me for dear life.

I slowly wake up, but Finnick is still sleeping soundly. I smile at him, and then walk out of his room, going to breakfast like usual.

When I get there, it seems that everyone in the whole room is staring at me, which they are. I quickly get my lunch and sit down at an empty table. Johanna and Gale join me a few minutes later, looking as if they're apprehensive to talk to me. They don't look up at me for a few minutes, just pick at their food. Then suddenly, Gale looks up.

"I'm sorry, Catnip," he begins. "I heard what happened and.." he trails off slightly, looking ashamed that he even mentioned it.

The words Gale says have no effect on me. Only when Finnick says them do they matter really.

I look up and shake my head.

"It's fine," I say, knowing that it's not fine at all, though.

Gale sighs, not knowing what else to say really. I notice he's looking a lot at the bruises on my neck. I feel uncomfortable, and wish that everyone would stop looking at me and pitying me.

"Training today at 12:00," says Johanna suddenly, breaking the silence. When she looks at me, I can see that even she looks sad for me, and that's surprising to me.

"Right," I say and nod.

Suddenly, flashbacks from last night appear in my mind, and my hands start shaking slightly, as I drop my fork.

"Why do you breathe mutt?"

The words Peeta said replay in my mind, haunting me.

"You okay?" Johanna asks, tilting her head slightly at me.

"Sorry.. I have to go," I say and quickly stand up, before anyone can say anything else. I throw my plate in the trash, and head off again.

But I decide to go see my Mom and Prim. They've most likely heard what happened, and are probably worried about me.

I take the elevator a few floors up, and walk quickly to their room. I knock on the door, and Prim answers, looking pale as ever.

"Katniss!" she says, and gives me the biggest hug. I notice that she's been crying from the redness around her eyes.

I hug her back tightly, kneeling down to get to her height.

"Hey, it's okay," I say calmingly.

She's holding onto me tightly, when I look up at my Mom walking towards me. She looks just like Prim. Pale, and looking tired as well. My Mom pries Prim off of me, and hugs me myself.

"I'm glad you're okay," my Mother says.

I hug her back tightly, feeling comforted again in having family with me.


	10. Chapter 10

Prim, my Mom and I talked for awhile. They didn't dare mention what happened to me for some reason, though it was perfectly fine if they did. I actually wanted someone to talk to about this. I didn't want to keep it in. But maybe that's what Finnick was for.

I had some tea, and then set off to leave. I hugged my Mom and Prim, and then walked out the door.

I wasn't sure what to do next. Practice was at 12:00 pm, and when I checked my watch, it was only 10:00. Then I decide that I want to go on the rooftops again. The place where Finnick and I shared our first real kiss. Maybe that would make me at least somewhat happy.

I walk up the stairs again and walk over to the balcony, looking out at the view with the cool wind blowing my hair.

I hear footsteps behind me, and my stomach gets a bit fluttery. I think it's Finnick, but I turn around and see that I'm wrong. It's Gale, and he's smiling slightly at me.

"Hi," I say, forcing a smile. I'm glad to see Gale, because I haven't really gotten to spend much time with him lately, but it's just hard to smile these days.

"Hey," he says, and walks over to stand by me. He joins me and looks out at the view as well, the blue sky, filled with Mockingjays flying around above us.

My hand is on the balcony handle, and he puts his hand on top of mine slowly. I don't pull away, I just sigh.

"We're going to the Capitol in three days.." he says, his voice shaky.

He's stating the obvious. _Yes, I know that we're going to the Capitol. Yes, I know that some of us are going to die._

"I know," I say flatly.

He gets quiet, as if he knows that he's offended me or said something wrong.

He suddenly grabs my arm gently, and turns me around so that now I'm facing him.

"Are you okay?" he asks flatly.

I find this a bit rude that he would ask me this.

"What do you think?" I say more coldly then I intended.

"Sorry, Katniss.. I just don't feel like we even talk anymore," he says.

I stay silent for a bit.

"I'm sorry," I say suddenly.

He sighs, and cups my face lightly with his hands, looking into my eyes. I feel a bit uncomfortable as his hand traces the bruises on my neck.

"I can't believe he would do that to you.." he says.

I stay silent, a bit aggravated that he's bringing this up again. I obviously don't want to talk about it.

I just nod though, trying to avoid eye contact with him.

"I've missed you," he says, changing the subject.

I look at him and smile just a bit. It's comforting to have him here again and to talk to him, despite what he just said.

"I've missed you too," I say.

He looks at me for a moment, but then presses his lips against mine, kissing me softly.

I'm shocked for a minute, but then put my hand on his chest, pushing him away gently.

"No Gale.." I say quietly, my lips separating from his.

"What's the problem, Catnip?" He says with obvious anger and hurt in his voice.

"I'm not in a good place right now to be starting relationships," I lie.

"Right.. and that's why you're sleeping around with guys right?" he says coldly.

"I haven't slept with anyone, for your information!" I yell, shocked that he would say this.

"Well, that's not what Johanna told me," he says.

"And you're just going to believe everything she says, are you now?"

He looks at me and shrugs.

"It's not hard to believe really," he says.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I say, pushing him so that he stumbles back a bit. "You're such an idiot, Gale."

"I'll just leave then," he says, rolling his eyes and walking away and down the stairs.

I have no idea what that was about. Maybe he just doesn't handle being rejected well, but now I'm angry. I'm not having sex with guys at the moment. That's the least of my worries, actually. It shocks me that Gale would actually believe something like that.

I sigh, and walk downstairs again, heading to my room again, when someone catches my eye. It's Annie.

Her black hair is messy, and she's wearing a green dress. She has bruises on her legs and arms, and she's eating silently at the lunch table, humming to herself and twitching occasionally. It's the first I've seen of her in awhile actually. She looks unhappy with bags under her eyes. I decide to not talk to her, because guiltiness suddenly overcomes me. She may not be sane enough to be with Finnick, but I still took him away from her in a way.

I look for Finnick as I head down the hallways, but I don't see him. I get to my room, and outside my door I see him.

Finnick, smiling a gentle smile at me.

"Hey," I say.

"Hey.. I thought maybe.. if you wanted to sleep alone or.." he looks nervous.

"You're wondering if I wanted to sleep with you tonight?" I ask, blushing when I realize how those words sound. I didn't mean it like that though. And he doesn't either. He means just holding me while I try to fight off nightmares and such.

"No.. I mean.. Yeah," he says, taking my hand.

We look at each other for a moment, and then walk quietly into my room.


	11. Chapter 11

Finnick shuts the door behind himself, and looks at me, smiling slightly. I have a bit of a frown on my face because of everything that happened with Gale, also a bit angry a frustrated.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Gale is just.." I sigh. "He kissed me."

Finnick looked shocked.

"Why? Did you.. kiss him back?" he asked.

"No, definitely not. He still loves me, and then he yelled at me because I pushed him away. I think he knows about us. He accused me of sleeping around with other guys," I said, frowning slightly.

"Katniss.. Why would anyone think that? That's just stupid," he said, and suddenly grabbed me gently by the waist and pulled me forward. "It's okay.. He was just being.. Well, an asshole."

I laughed, and so did he.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it," he said softly after I started smiling more. "Also, let them think what they want to think about us. The rumor itself isn't really that bad. It may be shocking to some though."

"So you're saying the rumor about us sleeping together isn't bad?" I say, raising my eyebrows.

"I mean.. No," he says. "Who cares anyway? I love you and you love me.." He seems a little unsure about this. "You do love me, right?"

I nod. I think about this, too. Why am I so worried about what other people think?

"Of course," I say. "I guess it isn't that bad. But for Gale to find out, it's hurting him, I know it is."

"You shouldn't worry so much about him, Kitten." His voice gets quiet as he says this. He pulls me closer, looking directly into my eyes as he does.

I nod.

"You're right," I say softly, getting lost in those green eyes of his.

Finnick bites his lip in a seductive manner, and then kisses me softly,

I just sink into his arms, kissing him back just as gently. I deepen the kiss a little though. He presses me gently up against the wall, his hand trailing up and down my waist. I'm not going to lie, it actually turns me on.

I trail my hands up and down his back, as he continues to kiss me. His hands start to trail lightly up my shirt, his hands touching my skin makes me shiver. He grazes his hand lightly across my breast, which makes me let out a quiet moan, a sound I have never made before.

I'm so lost in the moment with him, and the thought of Finnick and I together seems great, and would probably be fantastic. What we're doing feels great, but I know this isn't me to do something like this.

It's like I come to my senses. I pull away from the kiss.

"Finnick," I murmur softly to him against his lips.

"Yes, Kitten?" he asks. His voice sounds like he knows what I'm about to say.

"I can't," I say, a little hint of sadness in my voice.

He nods, and takes his hands that were underneath my shirt away, and places them by his sides.

"I'm sorry," he says, looking at the floor.

"Oh, don't apologize. I actually.. well, I liked it, but this isn't a good time," I say, blushing a little.

He nods, and smiles slightly, taking my hand. He leads me over to the bed where I climb under the covers, where he does the same and lays next to me.

"Sleeping will be fine for now," he says and kisses my forehead softly.

I smile and close my eyes, where I drift slowly off to sleep.

I awake only just a short time later, when I hear Finnick's voice.

"It's time for training," he says softly. I sit up and nod, walking over to the mirror and fixing my hair into a messy side braid.

Then I look at his watch and see that the time is 11:55 am. Just five minutes before training.

I take his hand, and we quickly walk out the door and through the halls into the training room. Everyone looks at us as we walk in, and I notice Gale is glaring at us. He obviously knows, but part of me doesn't care at all anymore.

Finnick and I practice with weapons side by side for a little while. He's very good with a trident and a gun. I'm still trying to perfect the gun, but I'm not very good at it.

When practice is over, it's around 2:00 pm now. Finnick and I leave without saying goodbye to any of the others.

_*A bit short, I'm sorry. Next chapter will be better! :)*_


	12. Chapter 12

_*Hey guys. Sorry about my late updating of this story. School has been taking up most of my life lately. :( I'll try to update more. Thank you for your patience and your reviews :))*_

A few days past, and tomorrow we leave for the Capitol. I layed down with Finnick, my head resting gently on his chest.

He's fast asleep, but I can't get to sleep. Nervousness fills me on what would happen tomorrow and over the next few days. Would we win the war? Would any of us die?

I can't bear the thought of Finnick, Peeta, or Gale dying. Tears come to my eyes even thinking about it, because I don't want the people that I love to be taken away from me. I'm determined to win this war, and I know that some people may die.

Finnick shifts a little in his sleep, and wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I kiss his cheek softly, and close my eyes. After hours of tossing and turning, I finally drift off to sleep.

The next morning, I'm awoken by Finnick shaking me gently.

"Katniss," he says quietly, his voice broken and shaking. I can tell he's nervous, because when I open my eyes, I see him staring down at me.

I jumped out of bed, and opened the door, not even bothering to change. Finnick walks with me down the hallway, that's desserted. It's very early in the morning, so no one is really up.

Finnick and I walk into a room where I see Gale, Johanna, Beetee, Boggs, and a few other people that I don't know. Boggs hands out our uniforms, and I get changed into one. I notice that there's a packet on my shoulder witch holds the pills that act like Nightlock. If you take one, you'd die instantly. Just in case anyone was taken hostage, they wouldn't have to die such a horrible death. The pill spares you from the pain.

I walked back out to where everyone was and see that they were all staring at me.

I'm the leader of the rebellion. This is all my fault, and I can't help but think that if someone dies, it'd be my fault too. I avoid everyone's eyes and walk back over to Finnick, who was looking at the floor. Boggs hands us our weapons, including my explosive bow and arrow, along with a handgun. Finnick admires his shiny trident and looks over at me.

"Group 451," Boggs starts out. "I wish us luck. We are determined to win this war," he says, looking at all of us carefully.

No one says anything, and silence fills the whole room.

"Right then. Let's go," he says, and motions us over. We walk out the door that's in the back of the room. It leads outside, and I see a hovercraft, waiting for us.

More nervousness fills me, and I squeeze Finnick's hand tightly, almost too tightly. He looks over at me, his eyes filled with a certain fear and also confidence. I give him a reasuring nod, as we board the hovercraft.

It's just as I remember it when I traveled in it in the 74th Hunger Games. It brings back memories, as I sit down on one of the cold metal seats again. Finnick sits next to him, and Gale takes a seat next to Finnick. When everyone is seated, we start flying.

It's a long ride to the Capitol. No one speaks, because everyone is so nervous. Finnick pulls me close, and I lay my head on his chest. I'm shaking slightly, and so is he. His heart is beating fast.

"Katniss.." he says softly after a moment. He whispers it, so no one else can hear. "If anything happens to me, I wan't you to stay strong, ok? I'll always do my best to protect you, Katniss."

"Nothing is going to h-happen to you.. Please, just don't say that," I say in a shaky voice. "We'll be okay."

Finnick doesn't seem to agree with this, but he nods, and then falls silent again. It's silent for a few more minutes, until I break the silence.

"I love you, Finnick Odair," I whisper quietly.

His arms wrap around me and he burries his face in my hair.

"I love you, Katniss Everdeen," he says back.

A few hours later, we land. I look out the window and observe the Capitol witch in a few hours, might be burned down. I'm shaking uncontrollably, but take a deep breath, and stand up. I take Finnick's hand, as the group walks out of the hovercraft.


	13. Chapter 13

As we're walking, another hovercraft lands. We all turn around and look to see a figure stepping out. He's dressed in the same uniform we are, and has a gun wrapped over his shoulder. Then, he comes into view. I see that the figure is Peeta.

"No," I mumble to myself, as he walks toward us. Finnick's grip on my hand has now gotten tighter, almost a little too tight.

Peeta reaches the group and grips his gun tightly when he looks at me. I step back a little, and Finnick pushes me behind him.

"What are you doing here?" Boggs asks.

"Coin wanted an extra person, I guess," Peeta says coldly.

Then I realize it. This is Coin's way to have me killed. She wasn't ever on my side in the first place. She placed Peeta in group 451 so he could kill me. Part of me cares for Peeta, but I won't have him killing anyone he's not supposed to.

Time goes by, and we travel further and further into the Capitol. Eventually, we get to an evacuated building where we decide to stay for a little while. I can hear the gunfire every couple of minutes, and the explosions. Peeta hasn't made any attempts to try and hurt me so far, and I wonder if he will. The group huddles together, hidden in the corner of the empty building just in case anyone were to come in.

"So.. What's our plan?" Gale asks after a moment, breaking the silence.

"In a few hours, we'll travel through the streets of the Capitol," Boggs says.

Silence fills the room, and no one says anything.I sigh and lean my head against Finnick's chest, where he holds me tightly.

"So are you two dating now or what?" Peeta asks, his voice cold. Everyone turns and looks at us, curious for the answer.

Finnick and I look at each other, not sure what to say.

"No, Peeta.. We're just good friends," Finnick smiles reassuringly.

"Oh, really?" he asks, narrowing his eyes. "It doesn't seem like just friends would be kissing each other."

I forgot about this. Peeta has seen Finnick kiss me before.

Finnick and I stay silent for awhile.

"There's more important things to worry about besides who I'm dating, Peeta," I say harshly. "There's a war going on."

Peeta glares at me, and starts to get up, but Boggs pushes him down.

"Stop it," Boggs says harshly.

Peeta looks angry, but excepts this, and sits again.

I close my eyes against Finnick's chest. A few hours later, I'm awoken by Finnick shaking me gently.

"It's time to go," he says gently.

I stand up and so does all of the group. We make our way without a sound out the door and into the streets of the Capitol.

There's a gunshot from the roof top, and I look up and see they're shooting at us. Finnick and I duck, and Boggs manages to kill the shooter.

Capitol citizens are running through the streets, buildings are falling down left and right. We travel through the streets, taking down those who are a threat to us.

Suddenly, there's an explosion and it knocks me off my feet, so that I fly into the air, landing hard on the ground. I can't see Finnick anywhere, and I start to panic. I slowly get up, but it's painful. I think something might be broken, but I tough it out.

"Finnick!" I call, my voice loud.

"Katniss.." says a faint voice. But the voice isn't Finnick's. The voice keeps calling me and eventually I find where it's coming from.

All of the group is huddled around Gale, who is lying on the floor, blood dripping slowly out of his chest.

It was as if my whole world collapsed right in front of me. Memories flash in my head. Gale and I hunting in the woods, him kissing me..

"No!" I scream as I stumble forward and kneel beside him.

He's been shot, and he doesn't have much time left.

"Gale, stay with me.. Don't leave me please!" I sob, tears pouring down my cheeks.

He looks at me, and his vision fades out. I see the color that was once in his eyes slowly drain out.

"No!" I say, shaking him and sobbing.

"He's gone, Katniss," Finnick says, softly and pulls me away from Gale. But I struggle, trying to get out of Finnick's hold.

"No, he can't be! LET ME GO!" I yell, but Finnick holds me even tighter. I am unable to except this, but Gale's chest is no longer rising and falling. He is dead.

"I'm sorry, Katniss..." Finnick's voice breaks. "We have to go now, c'mon."

I stumble to my feet, terrified as Finnick takes my hand and pulls me away from Gale's body.

I can't stop crying, but I know I have to keep fighting. There's a sunken feeling in my chest, as if a big hole has been shot through my chest. I manage to keep up with Finnick as we continue to run through the streets, staying together.

Finnick lets go of my hand suddenly and ducks, pulling out his gun and firing shots up onto the rooftop. Johanna, Finnick and now I are doing the same.

There are about 12 of them, firing at us, and we take 10 of them down. This is to our advantage because we're ducked behind a broken down car. Suddenly, one throws a grenade.

"GO!" I hear a voice scream. I run with Finnick out of the way, and the car explodes a few seconds later. We run up the streets into another broken down building. I look around, trying to catch my breath, looking at everyone. I see that they're all safe.. for now.


	14. Chapter 14

The last couple of days have been horrific. We continued into the war, but we still haven't won yet. We're still fighting, hard and strong. Boggs is dead as well. The Capitol seems to have made no exceptions for backing down. I just want it to be all over. There has been a big hole in my heart ever since Gale died, and it wears me down almost every single day. It's been a few days since that happened, but I am unable to pull myself together at times. The last things I said to him were mean things, when he tried to kiss me.

_You're such an idiot, Gale._

That was the last thing I said to him, and I'll never be able to take it back. It'll always haunt me forever.

We've lost a few people past the couple of days, so that group 451 is dwindling down to just a couple people.

Boggs, Leeg 1, Leeg 2 and Gale are all gone.

The rest of us are still here.

We're staying in an abandoned clothing shop at the moment, in the very back of the store where all the coats, shirts, and pants lay.

Johanna looks sad and exhausted, as does everyone else.

I lay down, pulling a fur coat over myself, but still shivering slightly until I feel Finnick's arms wrap around me. He lays next to me, pulling me close so that I burry my face into his chest.

Tears start to escape my eyes, and I start to cry quietly into his shirt. He notices this, and pulls me even closer, kissing my forehead softly.

"It's okay," he says quietly.

I nod, and accept this answer, not saying another word, and later falling slowly asleep.

Later, I feel Finnick shaking me slightly.

I suddenly stand up as does everyone else.

"The Capitol has surrendered," says Finnick with a happy and tired smile on his face.

"W-What?" I ask in disbelief.

They all nod, and Finnick hugs me tightly. I hug him back, letting out a sigh of relief.

I hear the distant sound of the hovercraft landing, as more tears pour down my cheeks. They're sad tears, as well as tears of relief.

I pull away, and we make our way toward the hovercraft door, when suddenly, I hear a gunshot.

"RUN!" I hear a voice say, so we all start charging for the hovercrafts, trying to find where the gunshots may be coming from.

More gunshots wiz by until I hear a familiar voice yelp in pain. I turn around and my eyes widen in horror as I see Finnick laying on the ground, clutching his shoulder.

"Finnick!" I scream, running toward him, but then I feel an instant sharp pain in my calf. I drop to the ground, clutching my leg as I see the bullet lodged into my leg.

There's more screams, and then one more gunshot. It comes from one of the people in our group though. But suddenly, the voices begin to slowly fade out. I lay down, unable to handle the pain anymore. The pain overwelms my body, until I suddenly fade into darkness...

The next thing I know, I'm in a hospital bed in a white room which looks like District 13.

"Aah, she's up," a doctors voice says as I slowly start to open my eyes more. I look down at my arm and see there's an IV stuck into it, with medicine slowly flowing through my bloodstream.

My leg is wrapped up where the gunshot was, and my cuts and bruises from the war seem to have disappeared.

"Finnick.." I mumble. "Where's Finnick?" My voice is suddenly filled with panic as I remember what last happened to him.

"He's in a bad condition, but he'll be fine.." one of the doctors says.

My chest fills with instant relief.

_Finnick is okay. He survived the war._

Suddenly, someone opens the door to my room, and someone walks toward me and I don't know who it is until they come into view.

His blonde hair is now again shiny, and he's dressed in the District 13 uniform. He smiles at me, and sits down in the chair by my bedside.

I suddenly become overwhelmed in fear as to why he's here, but doctors occupy the room, so I don't worry about it.

"Katniss.." Peeta says slowly.

I turn to look at him, and for some stupid reason, my eyes fill with tears. He looks so tired, and his eyes and sunken.

I don't say anything, and just stare at him.

"President Snow.. and President Coin are dead," he says, noticing I'm not going to respond.

"T-They are?" I ask.

He nods.

"President Snow just died because he was getting old, I guess. He had something wrong with him, and kept coughing up blood. President Coin and her assistants were the ones shooting at us from a distant rooftop. We took care of her," Peeta says, with exhaustion and a hint of relief in his voice.

"We won? W-We can go home now?" I ask quietly.

He nods and looks at me, as if to read me.

"Peeta... You're okay now?" I ask.

"The war has changed me, Katniss.. I can handle my flashbacks pretty well now," he says. "But there are still times when I loose it."

I nod, and sigh of relief. I'm amazed at how much he got better, and how much he really changed.

"I'm glad we're okay.. Especially you," I say.

"I'm glad you're okay, too. I was so worried about you," he says, smiling slightly.

We just look at eachother for what seems like hours, but it's only a few moments. I look into those blue eyes which I once missed. I've come to the conclusion that I love Peeta. I love Peeta, but I don't love him in the way I love Finnick.

"We'll be going home soon?" I ask suddenly, pulling me glance down to the IV in my arm.

"In a week or so.." he says softly. "I'm really sorry about Gale. I know how much he meant to you."

I stare at him and shake my head as tears well up in my eyes again, and a sadness fills my whole chest.

"It's alright," I mumble.

He nods, looking at me for a moment, and I know he can tell that it's not alright.

"I'll see you later Katniss," he says, and stands up.

"See you later," I say, and watch him walk out the door.


	15. Chapter 15

I'm in the hospital for what seems like weeks, but it's only a few days. The doctors spend their days giving me medicine and trying to get my bullet wound to heal. It eventually does, and I'm able to walk on it now, but it will always leave a scar, even a small hole in my leg, which is ugly, but I'm just lucky me and the majority of the people i love survived.

"You're able to go, Ms. Everdeen," says one of the doctors after I've changed into new District 13 clothes.

"Thank you," I say, nodding, but before I leave I leave, I ask one more question. "Excuse me? Do you know what room Finnick Odair is in?"

They nod, looking at me hesitantly for a moment. I don't think they're supposed to give out information on patients, but they must know I'm close to him.

"He's in room 213," said one of the doctors.

"Thank you," I repeat, nodding, and walk out the door to go find him, which is something I've been wanting to do ever since I woke up in that hospital.

I walk down the hallway, scanning the numbers on the doors with my eyes.

209... 210... 211... 212...

I suddenly stop in front of the room he's in and knock. A male doctor answers the door.

"May I see him?" I ask quietly.

The doctor scans me for a moment.

"You were one of his allies, right?" he asks.

I nod.

"I suppose," says the doctor, stepping out of the way for me.

I enter the room, and spot him. He's sitting up in bed, and looking straight at me, a small smile on his face. Other than his shoulder, which is covered in bandages, he looks perfectly fine. His bronze hair is still in tact, and he doesn't have anymore scratches on his face, looking like they've all faded. His green eyes scan me as I walk toward him.

"You're still looking as nice as ever, Ms. Everdeen," he says with a smirk, as I sit down at a chair beside his bedside.

"Same to you, Odair," I say, smiling slightly.

I pause for a moment, and take his hand gently.

"I was worried.. Really worried about you," I say, my voice becoming serious as I stare at him.

He stares back, his green, emerald like eyes staring into my grey ones.

"I'm alright," he said with a smile, looking at his shoulder, and then back at me. "They say I'll be out of here by tomorrow."

I nod, not saying really anything as I look at the many bandages and wraps on his shoulder.

"I was worried about you too," he says in a gentle voice.

I draw my attention back toward him, meeting his eyes again.

"We're okay now though," he adds. "I'm so sorry about Gale, Kat," he says, looking sorry for me, as well as feeling it.

It starts to hurt when people mention Gale, not physically, but internally. I imagine him in my mind again, the time we used to hunt, and how mean I was to him. That will always haunt me forever, but hopefully as time goes on, I'll be able to heal.

I shake my head, looking at him sadly.

"It's alright," I say simply, biting my lip which starts to shake.

He notices my sadness, and squeezes my hand gently.

"It'll be alright," he says, lifting up my hand and kissing it gently.

I nod, and smile sadly a little at the kiss, my eyes filled with tears. I take my other hand and wipe them away.

I spend a lot of time with Finnick, talking to him about different things, trying to keep myself distracted from the pain I'm feeling. I eventually leave after the doctor tells me visiting hours are over, and kiss him gently, before walking back to my room.

I don't sleep well that night, having horrid nightmares about the games, and the war. Gale's death replays in my head over and over and I wake up, my face stained with tears. I check my clock though and see it's 7 o'clock in the morning.

I haven't slept at all, but I decide to take a shower and get dressed into some new clothes.

I brush my hair out, and put it into a nice side braid. I sit down on my bed again, and a few minutes later, I pass out from exhaustion.

The next time I wake up, it's almost 10 o'clock. I sit up, and try to wake up for a moment.

Then, I stand up, and walk out the door, down to the cafeteria where I'm happy to see Finnick sitting alone at a table, picking at his food. His bandages are off, which is good.

I get my food, and sit across from him. He looks up, a smile on his face.

He tears open a packet and pulls out something, holding it out to me in his hand. It's a sugar cube.

"Want a sugar cube?" he asked in a seductive voice which made me laugh.

Memories flash back in my mind, and him saying this makes me happy, because it seems like just yesterday he was offering me a sugar cube when he and I first met.

"Of course," I say smiling.


	16. Chapter 16

Finnick and I spend the next few days with each other, and only with each other. He takes away my pain, and I take away his. I only cry about Gale at least once a day now, even though there is a lot of emotional pain left, I know time will heal me. Most days are good, and some are not so great. But, Finnick makes it all the worth while sometimes.

Tomorrow is the day that we'll return home, and the question on my mind is if I really want to move to District four. It would be very different, but Finnick and I do love each other, so it's worth it.

"Finnick.." I mumble softly as he lays down on the bed.

"Hm?" he asked, looking up at me, his green emerald eyes scanning me.

"Do you want me to move to District four?" I ask quietly, chewing on the inside of my lip as I fidget with my hands slightly.

"Oh.." He says, sitting up and resting his hand on top of mine. "I mean.. O-Only if you want. I can't move to District twelve, Katniss. I know I sound sort of mean, but District four is my home."

District twelve is my home too, and he knows that because he looks at me with concern, also watching me quite carefully.

"I don't want this to end," I say quietly after a moment, keeping my eyes on the floor.

"I know.. Me either," he says.

"I'm going to move to District four," I say quietly. "My mother is moving to District two with Prim, too, so I won't really have anyone back in twelve." I'm saying all this just to sort of reasure myself, actually. But it's all true. I don't have anyone in twelve besides Peeta, but our relationship is no more than friendship. I have Finnick, and I need to be with Finnick.

He pauses for a moment, and then looks at me.

"Are you sure?" he asks.

"Yes."

I see a small smile appear on his face.

"It's really great in four. Beaches, the ocean.." Finnick trails off, and I see him staring off, probably thinking about home. I don't blame him. He hasn't seen his home in so long. I don't think any of us have.

"I'm sure it is," I say, with a small smile. And then a question I've been wanting to ask forever pops in my mind.

"Will Annie be going to District four?" I ask in a quiet voice.

Finnick looks at me for a second, and he looks a bit sorrowful.

"Yes, she will be. But Katniss.. What Annie and I have is friendship. I promise. Plus, she'll mostly be in the hospital anyway," he says. I believe him, but when he explains that Annie will mostly be in the hospital, I sense a lot of sadness in his voice.

"It's okay, Finnick. I believe you," I say softly, giving his hand a small squeeze.

Finnick nods, and lays back down again, gently motioning for me to join him.

I do, and crawl over to him, and get under the covers. I snuggle slightly against him, my arms wrapping around him slightly as I lay my head on his chest. He plays with my hair, twisting it gently around with his finger.

I sigh gently and close my eyes, liking the feeling of him playing with my hair.

"Good night, Kitten," he whispers, kissing my forehead.

"Good night, Finn," I say gently.

After that, there's silence, and I already feel myself drifting off to sleep. A little while later, I finally do fall asleep, dreaming of absolutely nothing. I'm actually glad I dream of nothing, since I don't have any nightmares this night.

The next morning, I wake to the faint sound of Finnick saying, "Katniss.."

I open my eyes and sit up, looking over at him, and then at the clock. It's seven o'clock in the morning, and I shake my head, annoyed that I have to wake up so early. I rub my eyes, and slowly get up out of bed, walking to the bathroom. I undo my hair out of my side braid, brushing it out. It's really curly today since I slept in a braid. I brush my teeth, and wash my face.

When I'm done with that, I go to the closet, and pull out another basic District 13 uniform which I'm honestly sick of wearing. I slowly slip off my shirt, and I can just see from the corner of my eye Finnick looking at me. I look over, covering my chest with my shirt. He's smiling slightly, and then he looks down, like he was nervous or something.

I slip on my shirt, and then my pants, seeing Finnick head to the bathroom. I pace around the room, waiting for Finnick to come out, when he finally does a few minutes later.

"Ready?" He asks gently, looking me up and down before meeting my eyes again.

I nod, and walk closer to him, taking his hand gently and intertwining our fingers together. Finnick opens the door, and we walk out together, heading toward a room where the hovercrafts would be to take us home. We finally get there, the door number being 304. I open the door and we enter to see everyone there. Peeta, my mother, Prim, Johanna, Beetee, Annie and all the rest.

We walk in and look up at the boarding sign on the wall.

"District 4 times.." Finnick says, staring at the board and examining it. "We leave at 8:30," he says after a moment.

I sigh, looking at the District 12 times and seeing they leave at 7:30, which is in five-teen minutes. I bite my lip and making my way over to my mother and Prim. Prim looks at me with sad eyes, and immediately hugs me tightly.

"Hey.." I say softly, stroking her hair. "It'll be okay. I'll visit," I say quietly, kissing her forehead.

I can feel Prim's tears hitting my shoulder and she holds onto me even tighter before she breaks away. I move her blonde hair from her eyes, looking at her. I'm so grateful at least she survived the war, as well as my mother.

"You will?" She asks in a shaky voice.

"Of course."

I stand up and face my mother and see that she too has tears in her eyes. She gives me a tight hug.

"Katniss.. Are you sure you're making the right decision for yourself?" My mother asks softly.

I pull away, looking at her.

"Of course.. I-I love him," I say, looking over at Finnick who is engaged in a conversation with Johanna.

She nods, giving me a reassuring smile.

"I'll come visit," I repeat those words, smiling back.

I look behind me mother and someone catches my eyes. He's staring right at me. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and looking more intact than usual. My mother and my sister give me a knowing look, and I nod, walking over to Peeta.

We don't do anything but just stare at each other for a moment.

"So this is really goodbye.." He says, looking down and shuffling his feet.

"Not forever," I reply softly.

"Katniss.." He says, with so much sadness in his voice, taking his hand and pulling me close. He hugs me, and I hug back, tears coming to my eyes. He runs his hand up and down my back calmingly and strokes my hair with his other.

"I'm so sorry what I did to you," he whispers. "I never meant to. I-I love you so much."

Tears start streaming down my cheeks and I don't say anything. He holds me tighter, and we just stay there, taking in these last moments with each other. He finally pulls away, and looks at me, meeting my eyes.

"I'm happy for you, Katniss," Peeta says.

I nod.

"I-I'm sorry, Peeta.. I love him," I say.

"Katniss... Why are you apologizing?" He asks gently. "This is your choice. You seem happy with him. And that's all I want you to be. Happy."

I give him a sad smile, moving some of his blonde hair from his eyes.

"Thank you, Peeta.. I'm going to miss you," I say gently, chewing on the inside of my lip.

"I'll miss you too, Katniss," he says.

And just then, there was an announcement on the PA.

"Now boarding District twelve," says the voice.

Peeta gives me another sad look, and pulls me close again. Then he pulls away, just staring at me as if to take in the last he'll see of me. But I don't want it to be the last. I would really like to see Peeta again. This can't be the end. I stare back at him, and then decide to go give my mother and Prim another hug again.

They all walk toward the boarding area, where they'll board the hovercrafts to take them back to District twelve.

As they're leaving, Peeta looks back at me one more time and smiles.

Then, they all walk away to get back to their home.


	17. Chapter 17

_***WARNING. This next chapter you are about to read is very.. smutty. It's M rated for a reason, so if you don't like smut, don't read this xD***_

"Are you okay, Katniss?" Asks a voice voice, and I feel a hand on my shoulder.

I turn around and see Finnick standing there, smiling sadly at me. He reaches his hand up and wipes some tears away from my eyes.

I nod, and sigh a shaky breath.

"It's alright, Kitten," Finnick says softly, pulling me into a tight hug.

"Okay," is all I mumble into his chest, more tears pouring from my eyes. He holds me there for awhile, letting me just cry. He runs his hand up and down my back, which makes me feel calm.

He lets me cry for a bit until a few minutes later, I finally calm myself down and pull away from him, now looking down. He sighs, and sits down, and so do I.

"I'm sorry, Kat," he says softly. "I feel like I'm ripping you away from your family."

I thought of my mother and Prim. They'd be going back to District twelve right now to get their stuff and pack, and then they'd be off to District two. I didn't have any stuff to get. I had only a few outfits, and no really important personal belongings, so I would be fine. I could always buy new stuff in District four. I wouldn't need my bow and arrow anymore. There wouldn't be any place to hunt. This would all be a new life.

"No Finnick," I say softly. "Please don't say that. You're not. This is my choice." I pause a little and look over at him. "I love you," I say.

He looks over at me and nods. I lay my head on his shoulder and close my eyes, taking his hand gently.

We stay there for awhile, my head on his shoulder until we hear the next PA announcement.

"Now boarding for District four," the voice says.

Finnick looks at me, and then stands up. I see him look at Annie, who is also standing up.

"You can go say goodbye to anyone you want," I say softly. "I'll be on the hovercraft."

He nods and looks at me while I walk away. I walk through the gate, stepping onto the hovercraft which is just like I remember it. Twenty-four seats, twelve on each side, facing each other. Memories come back to me when I think about how I once sat here, just not long ago. It seems like just yesterday.

I take a seat, and cross my legs, my fingers tapping nervously on the arm chair.

A few minutes later, I see Finnick and Annie walk in too. Annie takes a seat at the very end, humming quietly to herself as she twitches every so often.

Finnick takes a seat next to me, and smiles reassuringly, taking my hand again. The plane starts to move, and rise up in the air. I notice that Finnick has tears in his eyes, which shocks me because Finnick never cries. I lean my head on his shoulder again, and close my eyes. This would be almost a six hour plane ride to District four, so he pulls me close and closes his eyes too. I fall asleep a few minutes later.

A few hours later, the plane comes to a stop. I feel Finnick shaking my shoulder gently, and whispering again in his soft voice, "Katniss."

I wake up, and sit up, looking at him.

"Are we here already?" I ask, rubbing my eyes.

He nods, and takes me hand, standing up with me.

"We're here," he says, giving me a soft kiss on the cheek.

Annie stands up too, and we all walk out of the hovercraft, where there's a car waiting for us. I don't know who is in the front seat, but I'm guessing he'll be taking us home.

I'm extremely nervous as Finnick, Annie, and I all step into the car, and take a seat. I don't know what District four will be like, and I feel like I'm taking a big chance by just moving here with Finnick. This is a whole brand new life, but maybe it's best for me.

The car starts driving, and all I do is look out the window, seeing that the sun is just setting.

A few minutes later, the car stops, and Finnick, Annie and I get out. I see a set of beautiful houses in the distance and we all start walking toward them until Annie breaks off, going to her own house. Finnick and I walk a bit more until we reach his house. The house is very fancy, but not too fancy. It's right on the beach, and I can already hear the ocean waves.

Finnick opens the door to his house and takes a deep breath. We walk in together, and he closed the door behind us.

"Home sweet home," he says softly, looking around. I look around too. His place is really clean, and looks similar to my place in the Victors Village, but not quite. It looks a lot different. It has a big living room, a kitchen. And then there's the upstairs where I'm guessing the bedroom and the bathroom is.

"Wow.. N-Nice place," I say softly, leaning against the wall.

He smiles and looks at me. For some reason, I'm nervous.

He makes his way over to me, and slides his hands on my waist. I look down at his hands and take a deep breath.

"I'm glad you're here with me, Katniss," he says in a quiet voice, meeting my eyes and tucking some of my brown hair behind my ear.

"I'm glad too," I whisper.

He looks at me, resting his fingertips gently on my cheek. He leans in and kissed me gently. The kiss is gentle and sweet, and I move my hands to his shoulders.

After a moment of kissing me like this, he deepens the kiss slightly, starting to move his hands up and down my waist, his fingers grazing along my upper thigh. My breathing starts to get a little heavier, and I think we both know what will happen next.

He pulls away from our kiss unexpectedly, and looks at me.

"Tired?" He asks, and I notice a small smirk on his face.

I shake my head quickly.

"No, are you?" I ask.

He shakes his head and kisses he again, this time with more passion. He pulls me closer so that I'm pressed up against him now. Our tongues move around with each others gently. Finnick is such a great kisser, the way his tongue sort of guides mine is amazing. My eyes are closed, and my waist is pressed up against his.

Finnick suddenly moved our waists away from each others, and moves his one hand that is resting on my waist a little lower. He kisses me a little deeper as his hand starts to rub me gently through my pants.

I moan instantly, this experience being completely new for me. I've never been touched there, but he keeps doing it, rubbing me with his fingers in a circular motion.

"Finnick p-please," I mumble against his lips, starting to tug at his shirt.

He pulls away from me, and smiles, pulling his hand away too. He suddenly picks me up bridal style, and I smile. He carries me upstairs easily and up to his bedroom, and I start to unbutton his shirt, my fingers fumbling slightly.

When we get to the bedroom, he closes the door behind us and lays me on the bed. He gets gently on top of me, propped up on his elbows. He starts kissing my neck gently, moving his hand up and down my stomach.

I pull off his shirt, looking down a little at his stomach. He has abs, and his muscles are toned. I shiver slightly as he kisses my neck, moving my hand up and down his back.

Finnick moves his hand, starting to unbutton my shirt, while his kisses move lower and lower. He unbuttons my shirt and pulls it off. I start to feel him kiss around my breasts and then down my stomach. I shudder slightly again, and let out a soft moan, his kisses across my skin being perfect.

He moves, lower until he pulls away slightly, looking up at me with his green eyes.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asks in a gentle voice.

I'm very nervous, but I nod.

He nods too, and unbuttons my pants, sliding them off. His fingers move again to my waist, and he starts to rub me again with his fingers, putting just the right amount of pressure. He stimulates a part of me I had no idea I had. I never knew someone could cause you this much pleasure just by touching you in a certain spot.

I moan again, arching my back slightly. I bite my shaking lip as Finnick pulls off my underwear. Then, he moves my legs apart and puts his tongue inside of me. The pleasure is so indescribable. He licks me gently, his tongue moving in a sort of rhythm in my area.

"Oh F-Finnick.." I moan, my voice coming out shaky.

He continues this, licking and sucking gently. This causes me so much pleasure, and I continue to moan softly as I feel the pressure build inside me. Finnick is so good at this, it's amazing. He works in a rhythm with me, making my body feel amazing and indescribable. I've never felt anything like this before. He flicks his tongue against me one more time and something weird and strange happens. In the next moment, it seems as if my whole body is alive, and pleasure courses through my whole body.

I moan loudly his name, my fingers digging into the bed sheets. I feel liquid drip from me, and I don't really know what that is. Finnick moves up again, and kisses my neck again.

"W-What just happened?" I ask softly, my body trembling as I hold him close.

He pulls away, and looks at me, smiling slightly. I notice he's blushing.

"I'm sorry, Finnick.. I was never really taught about.. Sex. I mean, the basic stuff yes, but.." I say, and trails off.

"Well, what you just had was an orgasm. It's when so much pleasure builds inside you, that you just sort of.. Let go," he says softly.

"I-It felt really good," I say, my voice still shaking.

He nods, smiling slightly, as he moves a piece of my hair behind my ear.

"I love you.. You know that, right?" He asks gently.

I nod and smile.

"I love you too," I say breathlessly.

He continues to kiss my neck again, and my hands move down his stomach and to his waist. I undo his belt, and unbutton his pants, pulling them off gently.

I breathe sort of shakily, and he seems to notice this because he runs his hand calmingly up and down my arm.

He kisses my lips again, this time passionately and sweetly. His tongue moves around with mine again in a seductive manner.

My hands move down again, and I pull off his boxers. I lean my head back a little, still kissing him until he pulls away.

"Are you ready?" He asks gently, biting his lip.

I nod and take a deep breath.

"Just tell me if you want me to stop. And let me know if it hurts," he says softly.

I nod, and he kisses me once more before nudging my legs apart more. He slowly moves himself inside me, but it's gentle.

I whimper slightly and grip his arm tightly.

"It hurts," I say softly.

"I know. It'll be okay. Do you want me to stop?" He asks.

"No," I say, shaking my head.

After a moment, it starts to feel better and not as painful. I get used to the feel of him inside me, and he starts moving slightly, just a little bit, in and out of me.

My breathing increases a little, and I start to kiss his neck softly as he does this. After a moment, Finnick starts to move a bit faster into me, but not much. The pressure starts to build inside me again.

I let out another small whimper of pleasure as he goes even deeper and faster, his hips moving in the perfect rhythm. His hands hold my hips, and he kisses my neck. Finnick makes a small noise, sort of like a groan but it's barley audible.

After awhile, I feel the pleasure build more inside me, and finally I can't take it anymore.

"Finnick!" I moan out, as I feel myself have another one of those great feelings where the pleasure fills me.

I think Finnick finishes too, because he lets out another groan, but it's louder this time. My breathing is shaky, and Finnick moves off me, also breathing heavily. We lay there for a moment, trying to catch our breath. He pulls me close to him and I lay my head on his chest, sighing gently.

He plays with my hair and gives me a kiss on the forehead.

"You're so a-amazing, Katniss," he says softly.

"I could say the same about you," I say.

He smiles, pulling the covers over the both of us.

"I love you," I say softly, closing my eyes, my voice still coming out shaky.

"I love you too," he says, smiling.


	18. Chapter 18

That night, I fall asleep being held in his arms. I have no nightmares that night, but only good dreams, which doesn't happen often.

The next morning, I reach out my hand, hoping to find Finnick laying next to me, but he isn't there. I sit up slowly, rubbing my eyes as I keep the sheet covering myself even though there is no one here to see me.

I slowly pull on my clothes from the night before, and make my way downstairs to see Finnick cooking breakfast. He's just about done with it, because he puts one egg on each plate, setting both plates down at the table. He gets both of us a glass of orange juice, and sets it down as well.

"Hello love," he says softly when he sees me, running a hand through his slightly messy hair. He is dressed in the clothes he was in the night before as well.

"Hi," I say, blushing slightly at the fact he called me love, because no one has ever called me that before. "Thank you.. For this," I say softly, referring to the breakfast he made for both of as I walk slowly towards the table.

"Oh, it was no problem," he says, taking a seat at the table, with me sitting down shortly after him. "I can take you shopping today. There are a bunch of shops around here. We can buy you some new clothes until we get a chance to travel back to District twelve and get your stuff," he smiles, and looks down at his food.

I nod.

"Thanks. That's quite complicated," I say.

He nods.

"Yeah, I thought that too. But we can just take a hovercraft or a train as soon as we can. Not a big deal," he shrugs.

I fall silent, taking a small bite of my food, my eyes peaking up at him for just a moment. I can see he has been looking at me, because his eyes meet mine at one point. I set down my fork and purse my lips, trying to hide a smile.

"I wanted to thank you. For last night," I say, instantly blushing and feeling like I am being too awkward.

Finnick laughs.

"It was my pleasure, Ms. Everdeen. Really," he says, his voice quiet and he takes another bite of his food.

We sit in silence for awhile, eating our food until I am finished. I stand up, and take my plate over to the sink. Suddenly, I feel Finnick's arms wrap around my waist, and he turns me around suddenly, but gently, pressing a soft kiss to my lips.

I kiss him back just as gently, closing my eyes, my stomach feeling fluttery again.

Finnick pulls away after a moment, smiling slightly.

"You should go get ready. I'm taking you to the store soon," he says.

I nod, and bite the inside of my lip, walking upstairs. I walk into the bathroom, and run my hair through my fingers, smoothing it out, and quickly doing it into a sidebraid. I wash my face, and then look at myself when I'm done. I sigh, before heading downstairs again, where Finnick is waiting for me.

"Ready?" he asks, and I nod.

He take my hand, and we both walk out the door together. He leads me onto a sidewalk, and I've never been to District four except for the time I went on the Victory Tour, but even then I didn't get to see much of it. It's very pretty. Prettier than District twelve anyway.

We walk down the sidewalk until we get to a town part of District four. There are little shops everywhere.

Finnick turns to me, and hands me a small card, which I'm guessing is his credit card.

"Finnick n-"

"I really don't need the money, Katniss," he cuts me off.

I am about to object, but I just decide not to say anything else and nod.

"I'll be over there," he says, pointing over to a spot on the beach that is right next to the ocean.

I nod.

"See you later," I say softly.

I walk away from Finnick, and looked around at the shops. I have never been shopping before, so this is weird to me, but after a few hours, I find it actually fun.


End file.
